Pete Hegseth Fires Director of Defense Intelligence Agency After Iran Strike Report

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has removed the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Air Force Lt. Gen. Jeffrey A. Kruse, following the release of a preliminary assessment regarding U.S. strikes on Iran in June, according to multiple reports.

The New York Times reported that both a senior defense official and a senator confirmed Kruse’s dismissal, making him the second top military intelligence leader to be ousted since President Donald Trump returned to office in January. Earlier this year, Gen. Timothy D. Haugh, head of the National Security Agency, was forced out after complaints raised by a right-wing commentator.

🚨 BREAKING – PURGE: SecDef Pete Hegseth has officially fired the Biden head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Jeffrey Kruse…

…Kruse is the one who produced the "preliminary" report on the Iranian strikes that were LEAKED to the media, per WaPo.

NOW it makes sense. pic.twitter.com/znXNCRw3Lm

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 22, 2025

Kruse, a veteran intelligence officer, had been serving as director of the DIA since 2023. His removal was described by officials as stemming from a “loss of confidence,” though it was not immediately clear whether he would be reassigned within the Air Force. Two congressional officials told the Times that lawmakers were formally notified of the decision.

Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, sharply criticized the move, saying it highlighted what he called the Trump administration’s “dangerous habit of treating intelligence as a loyalty test rather than a safeguard for our country.”

The Washington Post also confirmed Kruse’s firing, citing two people familiar with the matter. They reported that officials did not immediately provide a reason beyond the stated “loss of confidence.”

Kruse’s dismissal came in the wake of a DIA preliminary report assessing the impact of U.S. military strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities in June. The assessment reportedly caused friction within the administration, though the precise contents of the report have not been made public.

The firing underscores growing tension between the Pentagon’s intelligence community and the Trump administration.

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr